


The Life You Save

by hummerhouse



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Complete, M/M, TMNT Fast Forward, Turtlecest, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-07 16:03:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5462645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummerhouse/pseuds/hummerhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.<br/>Word Count: 19,518 multi-chapter fic<br/>Rated: PG-13 to R<br/>Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don<br/>Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?<br/>Some of the Fan Art attached to this story is EXPLICIT - NSFW</p><p><b>!!~~</b>Winner in the 2014/15 TMNT Mature Fanfiction Competition: (Erotica Section) Steamiest Slash 3rd Place (Dark Raph/Don)<b>~~!!</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This sweet preview image was created for this story by the incredible FrankenPup on DeviantArt, for whom this story was written.  
> 

_To truly save a person's "life" is to turn them from the error of their ways back to truth. (James 5:19-20; Lam. 3:40)_

Day 1

            “Leave it ta Dun ta blow up part of a building just ta avoid being arrested,” Raph grumbled, sifting his way through piles of debris.

            “Of course it had to be one of _Cody’s_ buildings,” Mikey added, shoving a section of what had once been a wall out of his way.

            “Does anyone see it?” Don asked.

            “Not yet.  Ya’ sure he didn’t take it with him?” Raph asked.

            “No, Cody and I watched the surveillance tape together.  Dun left on foot and he had nothing in his hands,” Leo said from his spot on the other side the disaster zone.

            The turtles, Cody, and Serling were spread out across the remains of what had been an O’Neil Tech shipping and receiving facility.  Cody had been expecting a package containing a special multi-layer circuit board for his time window.  It was a one of a kind board and Darius Dun had somehow learned about its arrival.

            “Are you guys sure our crazy counterparts didn’t snag it?” Mikey asked as he kicked over another pile of rubble.

            “Did it look like your double was carrying anything when ya’ slugged him with your nunchucks?”  Raph asked him.

            “Nope,” Mikey answered with a grin.

            “Neither did the others,” Raph said.  “They heard the peace keepers coming and high tailed it out of here.”

            “Uncle Darius took a big risk blowing this place up,” Cody said.  “Why would he do that?”

            “Maybe he thought that if he couldn’t get the board then you shouldn’t have it either,” Leo said.

            “Or maybe he knew the dark turtles could get him out of here and the chance to get rid of Cody and us was too much of a temptation,” Don said.

            “If Leo hadn’t shoved me out of the blast zone I would have been a goner,” Cody said, looking at Leo admiringly.

            Don glanced at his brother, reminded that Leo had taken part of the blast when he’d gotten Cody out of the bomb’s path.  There were burns along one side of Leo’s body and Don knew that they had to hurt.

            “You should go back with Cody and Serling,” Don said for the second time, hoping that Leo would take the suggestion.  “We can keep looking for the circuit board while you get those burns tended to.”

            Leo’s expression was grim.  “We’ll all leave together when it’s time.  The dark turtles could come back with Dun and you’d be outnumbered.”

            Don started to point out that the peace keepers had been chasing them when they fled the building, but Raph spoke first.

            “Leave him alone, Donny.”  Raph bent down to move a busted table aside.  “He ain’t gonna let anybody play doctor until we’re done here, so it ain’t any use arguing.”

            The group grew quiet, each member continuing to sift through the remnants of the facility though they were beginning to think that the bomb had destroyed the circuit board.

            “Master Cody!” Serling suddenly sang out.   “I believe I have found it.”

            Everyone spun to look at Serling who was lifting a toaster sized box from the floor.  The shipping stamp was clearly visible and designated that it was indeed the circuit board Cody had been waiting for.

            “That’s it!” Cody exclaimed.  “Thank goodness I had them pack so much protection around it.  The box hardly looks damaged.”

            “Good, now can we get out of here?” Raph asked.  “I think it’s gonna rain.”

            While each member of the group gingerly made their way through the wreckage towards the exit, Don stopped when he thought that he heard something.  He noted that no one else seemed to have picked up on the sound and wondered if it was just some machine that was still running.

            For about thirty seconds there was nothing but silence and Don was about to move on when he heard it again.  This time it sounded like a low groan.

            “Guys wait!” Don called out, getting their attention.  “I think someone’s under here.  Maybe one of the employees got caught in the blast.”

            He’d barely stopped speaking when a section of fallen ceiling tiles moved imperceptibly.  Leaping towards it, Don began tossing the debris aside, frantically working to uncover whoever was trapped underneath.

            As he shoved a mound of plaster out of the way, Don saw something bright red peeking through the wreckage.  His heart skipped a beat with the thought that it was blood.  A moment later he realized it was skin.

            Lifting a large piece of tile out of the way, Don uncovered Dark Raph’s head.  The cloned turtle’s eyes were closed, his face bruised and covered in scrapes.  There was a large gash on his temple and blood still flowed from it, painting the side of Dark Raph’s head a darker red as it dripped into a small puddle that was already on the floor.

            Don whipped his mask off, doubling it over before pressing it against the wound.  The clone groaned once more and then tried to move.

            Placing a hand on his shoulder, Don said in a gentle voice, “Easy there big guy.  You’re a little hurt so you need to be still.”

            Dark Raph immediately calmed although his eyelids began to flutter.  Don could hear his brothers approaching but didn’t look up because Dark Raph’s eyes had opened slightly.

            “Don-ny . . . .” Dark Raph moaned, the one word distinct.  There was a pleading, childlike quality to the sound that tore at Don’s heart strings.

            Dark Raph’s eyes slid shut just as the other turtles reached Donatello.

            “It’s Raph’s clone!” Mikey exclaimed upon seeing the mutant.

            “He’s badly hurt, help me get this stuff off of him,” Don said.

            Raph placed his hands on his hips and asked gruffly, “Why the shell should we do anything for this monster?  Let the peace keepers come and get him out of here.”

            Already Don was pulling fallen material off of the injured clone.  After a second’s hesitation, Leo began to help.

            “He could get worse before the peace keepers ever make it back here,” Don explained.  “This panel is crushing his chest.  I can’t lift it by myself.”

            Don shot a pleading look at his strongest brother.  Pressing his lips together disapprovingly, Raph moved forward and grabbed an end of the panel.  It took all four brothers to get the heavy panel off of the dark turtle.

            There were several other gashes on Dark Raph’s body and one arm was twisted at an unnatural angle.  While his brothers cleared the remainder of the rubble off of the clone’s legs, Don gently ran his fingers over Dark Raph’s left arm, quickly finding a spot where at least one bone had been broken.

            Mikey watched as Don explored Dark Raph’s injury and then said, “His right leg looks messed up too bro’.”

            Don sat back on his heels and used the computer on his arm band to run a quick body scan.

            “He’s got four broken bones, some severe lacerations, a head wound and internal bleeding,” Don announced in a somber tone.  “He’ll die if we don’t get him back to Cody’s sick bay right now.”

            “Why do we gotta save him?” Raph repeated.  “Don’t ya’ remember how well that turned out with Dark Leo?”

            “This wasn’t part of some master plan,” Don argued, his tone reflecting fearful urgency.  “Dun’s only concern when he blew this place up was to escape; he didn’t care if the dark turtles got killed in the process.”

            “I suppose our taking care of him would be better than endangering hospital staff,” Leo said, “but we keep him inside the portable force shield at all times.”

            “Of course,” Don agreed.  “Serling, you’re the only one who can lift him.  We’ve got to get him back to the Hover Shell.”

            Serling looked at Cody.  “Young master Cody, are you certain this is a good idea?  The last time one of those _creatures_ stayed with us he made a shambles of the security systems.”

            “Give me the box Serling,” Cody said, taking it from the robot.  “Go help them please.  They know what they’re doing.”

            Serling rolled his eye servos.  “I seriously doubt that.”

            With a sigh of resignation, Serling picked his way over to where the unconscious clone lay.  Extending his arms, he slid them beneath the large red body.

            “Carefully Serling, don’t jostle him,” Don cautioned.

            “I do wish you showed that much concern for me,” Serling muttered.

            As Serling lifted Dark Raph, Don and his brothers supported the clone’s broken limbs.  With as much caution as possible, they took Dark Raph out to where the Hover Shell waited and loaded him into it, removing his twin talon knucklers as a safety measure.

            Raph was still grumbling as everyone climbed into the craft.  Don patted him on the shoulder and said, “Remember that Dark Leo kept Leo’s gift of the bonsai tree.  From such small acts of kindness, great things can happen.”

            “You’re an optimist, Donny,” Raph said lugubriously.  “I hope it don’t come back ta bite ya’ in the butt.”

            Don sat next to Dark Raph on the way back to Cody’s pent house.  He rechecked the clone’s vital signs and then set a hand on Dark Raph’s forehead.

            “Don’t worry,” Don told him quietly.  “I’ll take care of you.”

            He didn’t expect to be understood, but Dark Raph’s mouth opened the smallest bit.  Don leaned forward and he just managed to hear the clone’s breathy exhale followed by a softly whispered, “Don~ny . . . .”

TBC………………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This lovely art certificate was created by: chimyen (tumblr)  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,581 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p2 PG-13  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

Day 2

            The auto docs were busily doing their job; repairing Dark Raph’s broken limbs, his lacerations and the gash on his temple.  It had taken some effort to locate the source of his internal bleeding but once it had been found it had quickly been put right.

            As directed by Leo, the portable force shield was in place around the medical bed.  It wasn’t absolutely necessary at the moment; Don was keeping the large clone sedated for his own good as much as anyone else’s.

            Dark Raph hadn’t said anything else since whispering Don’s name as they transported him in the Hover Shell.  Don really wanted to know how the clone had known his nickname; curious as to whether it was part of the residual memory transferred within the original turtle’s DNA.

            Another thing that had Don curious was his own need to be the one to care for Dark Raph.  He’d tried to analyze his feelings but gave up when he realized he didn’t have enough data.  All he knew was that the clone had needed _him_.  Don could hear it in the way Dark Raph had said his name; in the pleading tone and the hint of desperation.  He’d seen a momentary glimpse of something else as well when Dark Raph had managed to open his eyes for that fraction of a second; there had been an unwavering trust in that look.

            That combination of things was enough to stiffen Don’s spine as he staved off another attempt by Raphael to talk him into turning the clone over to the peace keepers.  Raph insisted that they would be perfectly capable of caring for him now that his condition had stabilized.

            Don had put his foot down and made it clear that the subject was not up for debate.  He was grateful that Leo backed him up by stating that the decision was entirely Donatello’s.  Raph had growled something about how they would all wind up sorry that they hadn’t listened to him.

            Standing outside the force shield, Don stared at the Dark clone’s face, looking for something that would remind him of his brother Raph.  He simply found nothing of his brother there and if Don hadn’t run the diagnostics himself he’d wonder if he and his brother’s DNA had been used at all.

            Don took that back; something the Dark Turtle did have in common with Raph was his temper and his insecurity.  Raph was learning to effectively deal with his angry outbursts and the tendency to be insecure about his place in the world was fading.  Dark Raph still carried both of those characteristics quite prominently.

            “What do you see when you look at him?”

            Startled, Don glanced back to see his brother Leonardo padding silently towards him.  Returning to his contemplation of Dark Raph, Don said, “I can tell you what I don’t see; I don’t really see Raph.  I could see more of you in your clone, something of Mikey in his, and even a little of myself in my doppelganger.  I just don’t see Raph in this one.”

            “Could it be that you don’t want to?” Leo asked.

            Don turned his head and frowned at Leo.  “That’s a strange question.”

            “Donny, you haven’t left this room since we brought Dark Raph to the penthouse,” Leo said.  “What is it?  Why is his welfare so important to you?”

            For a moment Don didn’t answer as he returned to his perusal of the clone.  “I don’t know,” he said softly.  “There’s . . . _something_.  Leo, do you ever think about the nurture versus nature question?”

            “You’re wondering if our clones had developed under a hand other than Sh’Okanabo’s and without Dun’s influence, would they have been different?” Leo asked.

            “I thought about that when we were caring for Dark Leo,” Don said.  “I wondered if they had the capacity to change.  Of course, we know nothing about what went into the process of creating them other than that our DNA was used.  Obviously something else was introduced into the procedure; otherwise they would look more like us.”

            The brothers stood side by side, watching the auto docs do their work.  After a few minutes, Leo asked quietly, “Is that the answer to my first question, Don?  Do you see in Dark Raph an opportunity to discover the answer to that age old question about nurture and nature?”

            “He whispered my name,” Don said, just as quietly and without turning his head.  “It was just one word, but the way he said it was just as good as his asking for my help.  Maybe it is morbid curiosity on my part, but the safety measures are all in place so I think I can afford to indulge myself.”

            “There are more ways to get hurt than just the physical,” Leo told him.  “Are you prepared for the sting you might receive in response to your good deed?”

            “Again with the scorpion analogy?”  Don chuckled lightly.  “I thought you hated that story.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to invest anything but time in this project.  If he decides to sting rather than live, then I’ll cut him loose and let the peace keepers deal with him.”

            “Good.”  Leo clapped Don on his shoulder.  “Come out of here for a bit and get something to eat.  Dark Raph is both sedated and hooked up to a dozen monitors; he’ll be fine in here by himself for a while.  Serling is becoming very vocal about having to deliver your meals to you.”

            Reluctantly Don allowed his brother to take him away from Dark Raph’s side.  “Just for a little while; I don’t want to miss even the slightest twitch.”

            “Have you thought about what you’re going to do if he becomes attached to you?” Leo asked seriously.  “That’s another possibility you need to have an answer for right now.  When you and Cody figure out how to repair the time window we’re going back to our own time.  Dark Raph will have to stay here.”

            There was a quick fluttering of anxiety in Don’s chest at Leo’s words and then he said, “Maybe he wouldn’t have to.  It isn’t as though removing him from this time line would mess anything up; he wouldn’t exist in the first place if we hadn’t been here.  Another mutated turtle hiding in the sewers in our time isn’t going to make any kind of difference either.”

            “You can’t know that,” Leo argued.  “It could change everything.”

            “And suppose he was meant to return with us?” Don asked.  “Not taking him would also change everything.”

            Leo shook his head, guiding Don from the room and out of the presence of the dark clone.  “First things first; let’s get him patched up before we start having this kind of mind numbing debate over his future.”

            “Deal,” Don said.  “You know, I think we need to give him a name rather than just continuing to call him Dark Raph.  It doesn’t have very pleasant connotations and can be confusing.  Let’s start calling him Red.”

            “Red it is,” Leo said as he steered Don to the kitchen.  “There’s Serling; I’m sure he’d love to make you anything you might be craving.”

            Serling eyed them warily.  “Ah, it’s so good to see that the fourth miscreant has decided to grace us with his presence.  I’m fairly certain your brothers haven’t managed to break everything in the house just yet, are you here to take your turn at it?”

            Leo stood back as Don responded appropriately to Serling’s sarcasm.  There was a stern expression on the turtle’s leaders face which Don did not see.  If he had, he would have recognized that Leo was not pleased about something.

Day 6

            Don had stopped administering any kind of sedative to Dark Raph two days previously.  The clone’s wounds were healing nicely and he should have awakened by now.

            Once more Don checked the readings from his latest body analysis and found no anomalies.  Running his eyes from Dark Raph’s feet up to his head, Don leaned forward as he realized that gash on the clone’s temple hadn’t fully healed.

            Tapping into his arm band computer, Don ordered up a quick brain scan.  Waiting for the results, Don lowered the force shield long enough to enter the area Dark Raph occupied and then lifted it again.  If any of his brothers walked in Don wouldn’t hear the end of it, but he’d always relied greatly on his sense of touch and he couldn’t use that from outside.

            Very gently, Don caressed the area around Dark Raph’s head wound and soon felt a slight indentation in the skin.  Don had no way of knowing if the imperfection had existed before the accident.

            A beep from the completed scan interrupted Don’s thoughts and he looked up at the monitor above Dark Raph’s bed.  He immediately saw that there was a spot of white in the vicinity of the wound on the otherwise normal gray coloring of the clone’s brain.

            So deep in thought over what that bit of white might mean, Don didn’t notice that Dark Raph’s eyelids had started to flutter.  A faint sound, almost like a whimper, pulled Don’s attention away from the screen just in time to see the clone’s eyes snap open.

            Before Don could move, Dark Raph’s hand shot up and he grabbed the turtle’s wrist in a tight grip.

TBC………………..


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,524 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p3 PG-13  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

            A surge of adrenaline hit Don’s system as soon as Dark Raph latched onto his wrist.  The thought that Raphael would never let him live this down raced through his mind at the exact same moment.

            Twisting out of Dark Raph’s grip wouldn’t be difficult, Don had been trained to escape any kind of hold.  Instead of fighting though, Don leaned over Dark Raph and made sure he established eye contact.

            “You’re okay,” Don crooned in his gentlest voice.  “You’re safe now.  I’ve been taking care of you.”

            Dark Raph’s brow furrowed.  “Don-ny?”

            Don smiled.  “Yes, it’s Donny.  Do you know what happened to you?”

            The line on Dark Raph’s forehead deepened.  “Hap-pened?”

            “Your accident,” Don said, choosing his words carefully.

            Dark Raph’s eyes slid closed and then opened again slowly.  “Got hurt.”

            “Yes, you got hurt,” Don said.  “I found you.”

            “Don-ny saved me,” Dark Raph said, his deep voice almost child-like in its simplicity.

            “My brothers and I saved you,” Don told him.

            “My broth-ers?” Dark Raph asked.

            Don didn’t want to tell him his brothers had run off and left him, so he said, “They weren’t there.”

            “Broth-ers never there,” Dark Raph said with a pout.  A second later his face brightened.  “Don-ny always there.”

            “You’re tired, you should rest,” Don said.

            “Hun-gry,” Dark Raph grumbled, his yellow eyes wide and beseeching.

            Dark Raph had been sustained intravenously but Don could imagine that for someone his size that wouldn’t be enough.  “I’ll bring you something to eat,” Don said, tugging gently against the clone’s grip.

            “Don-ny don’t go,” Dark Raph said, his voice taking on a panicked note.

            Reaching up with his free hand, Don stroked Dark Raph’s forehead soothingly.  “I’ll only be gone a couple of minutes to get you some food,” Don promised.  “I’ll stay with you while you eat.”

            “Stay?” Dark Raph asked, seeking assurances.

            Don nodded.  “Yes, I’ll stay.  I won’t go anywhere else except to bring you food.”

            “Okay,” Dark Raph murmured, opening his large hand and releasing Don.

            Don backed up slowly, keeping his eyes on Dark Raph as he once more lowered the force shield and stepped out.  He saw the frown return to the clone’s face when the shield came back up, but Don smiled at him reassuringly and was happy when he saw Dark Raph attempt to smile in return.

            On his way to the kitchen Don felt his arm tingling and realized that Dark Raph’s grip had been tight enough to cut off blood circulation.  He guessed that his wrist and arm probably bore a bruise in the shape of Dark Raph’s hand, but that his arm guard was hiding any tell-tale signs.  Don would have to be careful not to remove it in front of his brothers until the bruise faded.

            As he put together a couple of large sandwiches, Don thought about the white spot he’d seen on Dark Raph’s brain scan.  The clone wasn’t behaving in his usual aggressive manner; he was displaying none of the hostility that he’d shown at their last few encounters.

            Before the explosion that had dropped part of a building on him, Dark Raph had attacked Don and his brothers on Dun’s orders.  While the clone’s kept the turtle brothers busy, Dun had tried to find the package containing the circuit board.  Serling had interfered with his search and Dun had been forced to retreat, using a potentially deadly method to affect his escape.

            Donatello had seen the clones carry off one of their own before when they were injured, but for some reason they had abandoned Dark Raph.  It was possible that because they couldn’t see him beneath the rubble they didn’t realize that he was trapped, but another more nebulous concept was forming in the back of Don’s mind.  Something he believed would explain why the Dark Turtles had left their brother and why Dark Raph seemed to have bonded to Don.  He was sure the answer had something to do with the injury to the clone’s brain.

            Much to Don’s chagrin, on his way back to Dark Raph with the tray of sandwiches and a large glass of milk, he encountered Leo.

            “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you were making those sandwiches for yourself?” Leo asked.

            Don smiled to hide his peevishness.  “Red’s awake and he’s hungry.  That’s a good sign.”

            “It’s progress at least,” Leo said noncommittally.

            Don had hoped he’d be able to deliver the food by himself, but Leo was tagging along with him.  Hoping that Dark Raph wouldn’t give away the fact that Don had already been inside the force shield, Don entered the sick bay.

            For a moment it appeared as though Dark Raph had gone back to sleep, but after Don took a few more steps towards him, the clone turned his head and grinned happily.  Then his eyes turned to Leo and the grin faded, replaced by a questioning look.

            “Leo wanted to see you,” Don explained quickly.  “He’s been worried about you too.”

            While he spoke, Leo took up the remote that controlled the levitation device attached to the tray.  “The tray will pass through the force shield,” Leo said, sending the food into the secured area.

            Dark Raph looked at the tray and then at Don.  “I made the sandwiches myself,” Don said, “and I poured out the milk.  Eat slowly so you don’t upset your stomach.”

            “Okay, Don-ny,” Dark Raph said and lifted the first of the sandwiches from the tray.

            Leo watched the clone for a couple of minutes, a frown creasing his brow.  Turning to Don, he said in a low voice, “He sounds different; more docile.”

            In an undertone, Don said, “I did a brain scan earlier, when I grew concerned over the fact that he wasn’t waking up.  There’s an abnormality on his brain, directly beneath the injury to his temple.  I think it might be responsible for the change in his behavior.  He isn’t showing any of the combativeness or animosity that we’ve seen during all of our encounters with the Dark Turtles.”

           “How do you account for that?” Leo asked.

            Don rubbed his chin, his thoughts in overdrive.  “Sh’Okanabo took our DNA to create enhanced replicas of us, but used the cloning technology developed by his species.  Therefore the Dark Turtles are linked to us, both physically as well as psychically.  He programmed them to have one mission in life; to destroy us.

            “The difficulty for him was that because of their link to us, they had to have felt the bond we have as brothers.  They behave as though they hate each other, but they still stick together.  Sh’Okanabo had to overcome that conflict in their mentality or they wouldn’t come after us.  Whatever mindset he instilled in them to make them do his and Dun’s bidding may have been destroyed by the injury Dark Raph sustained.”

            “Are you saying that his animosity towards us is gone?” Leo asked.  “You have no way of knowing if that’s true or if he’s simply shamming the way that Dark Leo did.”

            “I don’t think it’s an act,” Don said.  “The brain scan was completely accurate.”

            “And that may just be showing you something that’s been there since he was created,” Leo pointed out.  “You don’t have anything to compare your scan against.”

            Don shook his head stubbornly.  “I’m sure it’s something that happened when the building collapsed on him.  When he’s a bit stronger I can run some tests to prove I’m right.”

            “He looks like he’s feeling pretty strong now,” Leo said dryly, glancing at the clone who was stuffing the last of his second sandwich into his mouth.

            Before Don could reply to that, he was interrupted.  “I only got one question.”  Raphael appeared abruptly, obviously having overheard at least part of their conversation.  “When do we get rid of him?” he asked in a loud voice.

            “NO!” Dark Raph suddenly bellowed, his protest accentuated by the crashing of his food tray.  “I stay with Don-ny!”

            Don rushed towards the containment wall, oblivious of his brother’s objections.  He could hear them coming up behind him, but ignored them as he pressed his hands against the force shield.

            Afraid that Dark Raph would begin raging and prove his theory wrong, Don opened his mouth to offer words that he hoped would soothe the clone.  He stopped when he realized that Dark Raph was not having a fit of temper.

            Instead the clone slid off of his bed and crept on all fours over to where Don stood.  Reaching up, he laid his large hands on the force shield, directly atop the spot where Don had his hands.

            His face was inches from the turtle genius’ and Don saw that rather than anger, Dark Raph looked sad.

            “It’s okay, Red,” Don whispered.  “It’s okay.”

            “No leave Don-ny,” Dark Raph whimpered, tears streaking down his cheeks.

            “You can stay,” Don told him, his heart feeling as though it was breaking inside his chest.  “You can stay.”

            “No leave,” Dark Raph repeated, his voice catching as he sobbed piteously.

TBC………………


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,090 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p4 PG-13  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

Day 9

            Leo stood on the roof of Cody’s penthouse and stared out at the bustling city around him.  His mind was far away as he contemplated recent events.

            It had been three days since Dark Raph’s – Red’s – breakdown and Leo had seen little of Donatello in that time.

            The incident in the sick bay repeated itself in Leo’s memory.  Much to his horror and consternation, Don had lowered the shield around Red’s medical bed and gone inside to comfort the nearly inconsolable giant.

            Leo’s protests fell on deaf ears, though Don did raise the shield once he was inside.  Sitting on the floor with his arms around Red’s neck, Don had told Leo that the remote was coded so that only he could work the shield; that it would do Red no good to try to take it from him.  He’d assured Leo that Red was not a danger but that the shield would stay up for his older brother’s piece of mind.

            When ordering Don out of the sick bay Leo had been fairly sharp, telling his brother that his piece of mind required that Don move away from Red.  The command had made the red mutant whimper and Don’s subsequent reaction surprised Leo.

            Donatello, the brother who never argued or disobeyed Leo’s command decisions, had refused to obey a direct order.  Not only that, but he’d practically hissed at both Leo and Raph when he’d told them to get out, insisting they were only upsetting Red.

            Though Raph had been for busting in and dragging Don out of there, Leo’s cooler head had prevailed.  Don was not the kind one fought straight on; to have any chance of getting him to listen to reason required removing as much emotional content as possible from the conversation.

            Raph’s anger and Red’s quiet sobbing were not conducive to applying that strategy, so Leo had retreated, taking his hot headed brother with him.

            “If you’re thinking about dragging Red up here and pushing him off, I volunteer ta help with that,” Raph said, appearing as if Leo’s thoughts had conjured him.

            Leo half turned to glance at his brother over his shoulder.  “I’m afraid we’d have to send Don with him.  Have you checked the monitor lately?”

            After leaving Don alone with Red three days earlier, Leo had only managed to calm Raph down by going directly to Cody with a request.  He wanted cameras inside the sick bay so that they could watch and record everything that went on in there.  Installing them without Don’s knowledge had taken a bit of doing, but when they were finally up, Raph had practically glued himself to the monitors.

            Leo knew that his red banded brother was just waiting for the clone to make one wrong move.  There was no doubt in Leo’s mind that Raph’s response would be both harsh and swift and it was only by promising Raph that he could do as he saw fit if anything untoward happened that Leo kept his brother under control.

            “Don’s reading to him again,” Raph said, coming to stand next to Leo.  He chuckled lightly.  “It’s one of those kindergarten primers.  I saw the big lug sounding out words earlier while Don pointed ta stuff in the book.  He’s teaching him ta read.”

            Taking a deep breath, Leo released it slowly before saying, “I’m beginning to think that Don might be correct in his assessment of Red’s head injury.  I got him to explain a little more about his theory yesterday when he came out to prepare Red’s dinner.  He said that the white spot from the scan is a place that’s been wiped clean of whatever memory or programming had previously been there.”

            Raph’s brow furrowed.  “That means what?  That Dun and Sh’Okanabo can’t control him anymore?”

            “That’s Don’s theory,” Leo said.  “He thinks that it also contained the primitive feral link to his own brothers as well.  He’s says the other Dark Turtles didn’t come back for Red because they don’t have a bond to him anymore.  They weren’t raised together the way we were, so love for their siblings isn’t a part of their makeup.”

            Scratching the back of his neck, Raph asked, “So why does he cling ta Donny?  He wasn’t raised with him either.”

            Leo turned away from the view and walked back towards the penthouse with Raph.  “I haven’t talked to Don about that,” he admitted.  “It seemed too sensitive an issue to raise during the few minutes he allowed me to have his attention.  I have a theory of my own though.”

            “Leonardo’s got a theory?” Raph said with a laugh.  “This I gotta hear.”

            Smiling at his brother’s good natured teasing, Leo said, “Sh’Okanabo used our DNA to create the clones.  It stands to reason that they’d have some of our physical traits as well as our emotional characteristics.  You love Don because he’s your brother, so Red loves him too.”

            Raph came to a dead stop, causing Leo to pull up abruptly as well.  “Wait.  Don ain’t Red’s brother.”

            “No~o, he’s not,” Leo replied thoughtfully.  “I don’t think we need fear that Red is pulling some elaborate trick and is waiting to spring a trap.  What we probably should be worrying about is what kind of relationship he and Don are developing.”

Day 10

            Don watched as Red carefully brushed his teeth the way that he’d been taught.  It was obvious that Red’s hands and mouth were too large for a standard toothbrush, so Don had used Starlee’s tech to create one perfectly suited to the clone’s large size.

            Once he’d cleaned his teeth, Red rinsed and spit into the small movable sink next to his bed.  He made sure to wash his toothbrush as well, placing it into its special holder when he was done.

            “All good?” Red asked, smiling widely so that Don could see into his mouth.

            “Perfect,” Don praised, happy that Red was catching on to the fine art of personal grooming so quickly.  Today he was determined to take another step in that direction and advance Red’s training.

            “I have good breath now,” Red said, pleased with himself.

            With a chuckle, Don said, “Yes you do.  Red, I don’t think sponge baths are going to cut it anymore, um; I mean they aren’t doing the best job of cleaning you anymore.  We need to get you into a proper bath.”

            Red’s face took on a slightly pouty look.  “I like when Donny cleans me.”

            “I’ll still help you,” Don assured him.  “It’s just that sponge baths don’t get enough dirt off of your body.”

            “Real bath is better?” Red asked.

            That question was enough to tell Donatello that Dark Raph hadn’t ever had a bath.  It probably wasn’t the sort of thing Dun or Sh’Okanabo would have thought important, if they thought of it at all.

            “Much better,” Don said with feeling.  “Come on, we can use the bathroom in the sick bay so no one will bother us.”

            Don had absolutely no qualms about lowering the shield and leading Red into the bathroom without the use of the portable force shield.  Since the day when Red had gotten upset at the thought of being forced away from Don, the purple banded turtle had made it quite clear his brothers weren’t welcome in the sick bay area.

            He figured that what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.  Less and less Don liked using that force shield around Red because he was positive it wasn’t necessary.

            The bathroom was a fairly good size and full of the automated devices that drove Raph crazy.  Don quickly turned off all of the programming, not wanting machines jumping out and scaring Red.

            “This is a bathtub,” Don said, waving at the porcelain garden tub that hugged one wall.  “You fill it up with water and sit down in it to get clean.”

            Red was nodding, though Don doubted he understood completely.  With a smile, Don leaned down and turned on the faucets, reaching in to make sure the drain was closed.  When the bottom of the tub was covered in water of just the right temperature, Don turned to look at the clone.

            “Come over here and get in,” Don instructed.  “Go slow so you don’t slip and fall down.”

            “Like sewers, only this water not brown,” Red said, looking at the clear water with ill-concealed delight.  “I like to play in water.”

            “Baths are fun,” Don said.  “They are like playing and getting clean at the same time.”

            He held onto Red’s arm as the clone stepped over the edge of the tub.  Once he was standing in it and started to lower himself, Don realized they had a problem.

            “Donny, shell is stuck!” Red exclaimed, turning first one way and then another as he tried to get his rear end all of the way down.

            Although Red’s hips were narrow enough, his carapace was much too large.  He was also too tall for the tub and no amount of maneuvering was going to get Red into it.

            Don shut off the water and said, “Okay, a bath is out for now.  We’ll have to build a custom tub for you to bathe in.  You’ll have to settle for taking a shower.  At least I know the stalls in here are big enough.”

            “Shower?” Red asked as Don helped him step out of the tub.

            “It’s like standing in the rain,” Don explained.

            “Rain is cold,” Red said with a frown.

            “Not in a shower.  You can make the water as warm as you want it,” Don said.

            “Donny shower too,” Red insisted as Don directed him over to the tiled stalls.

            Don hesitated for a minute, but noticed the stubborn look on Red’s face.  The clone obviously doubted the concept of a shower feeling good and wasn’t going in unless Don went with him.

            With a resigned sigh, Don stripped off his gear and set it aside, removing his mask last.  Red watched him the entire time, his head tilted slightly to one side, as though Don getting naked was the greatest show on earth.

            Going into the stalls first, Don turned on the water, adjusting both the temperature and the spray, glad that the shower head was so high up in the ceiling.  The quick push of a button presented him with a fresh washcloth and a body brush.

            “Come on in,” Don said, motioning for Red to join him under the water.

            After a moment’s hesitation, Red gingerly stepped into the giant stall and let Don guide him into position.

            There was an immediate look of astonishment on Red’s face as the water cascaded over his body.  “Warm,” he said, glancing down at Don.

            “I told you it felt good,” Don said.

            Applying bath gel to the washcloth, Don proceeded to rub it gently over Red’s arm, lathering up his skin.  Red tentatively reached to touch the bubbles, grinning as they popped under his fingers.

            When he finished one arm, Don did the other, letting the water wash away the residual soap.  Red stood completely still, his eyes fixed on Don as the smaller turtle bathed him.

            Once he was sure that Red understood the concept and wouldn’t shy away, Don said, “Bend down so I can wash your face.”

            “Okay,” Red said, bending as asked.

            The maneuver put his face inches from Don’s, and the ninja tried to ignore the avid expression in Red’s eyes as Don first washed his neck, and then his face.

            As the water took the suds away, Don moved the washcloth lower so that he could scrub Red’s chest.  The clone was too close for Don to get a good angle, so he backed up a bit, but Red moved with him.

            Don’s carapace hit the wall and he looked up, startled to find that Red’s face was nearly touching his.  The clone was breathing deeply, his warm breath blowing across Don’s cheek and neck, and the smaller turtle quivered in reaction, though not with fear.

            “Wh . . . what are you doing?” Don asked.

            “Donny and Red belong together always,” Red said.  “I have special feeling in tummy for you.  Feeling down lower too.  Good feeling.  Want more of the good feeling.  Donny help me.”

            Casting a quick glance down, Don saw that the scutes between Red’s legs had started to bulge outwards.  This was certainly not a situation that the genius had foreseen.

TBC……………….


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,229 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p5 PG-13  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

            Wide eyed, Don tried to think of the right words to explain the facts of life to Red.  In the meantime, the clone was burying his face into the crook of Don’s neck, audibly snuffling against his skin.

            “Red, you need to back up so I can talk to you,” Don said as firmly as he could.

            “Donny smells good,” Red said, almost as if he hadn’t heard the smaller turtle.  “Like to smell you.  Your smell makes me have nice dreams.”

            Donatello did not want to know what Red was dreaming because he was afraid he already had a pretty good idea.  One of Red’s hands was snaking down along Don’s hip and the clone’s panting breaths were a clear indication that Red was growing more aroused.

            “Not all touching is the right kind of touching, Red,” Don said, trying another tactic.

            “I know,” Red told him as the tip of his tongue flicked out to taste Don’s skin.  “Hitting is not a good touch, I learn that.  Friend is only hug or shake hand.  Love touch like this.”

            His other arm curved around Don’s shell, pulling the turtle’s body away from the wall and up against the clone.

            One part of Don’s mind insisted he put an end to this immediately, before it went too far.  Another part was responding to Red’s deep bass voice, a whole new section of Don’s brain inflamed by the sensory input brought about by the clone’s hands and mouth.

            “Love Donny,” Red whispered against the side of Don’s head.

            Don’s eyes fluttered shut, the washcloth falling forgotten to the floor.  The warm water streamed across Red’s broad shoulders, rivulets falling from him onto Don.  Red’s heated breaths moved across Don’s cheek and the small turtle tilted his head back, awaiting the touch of Red’s mouth against his.

            A muffled shout from outside of the bathroom caused Don’s eyes to snap open.  A split second later he heard it again.

            “Donny!  Don!”  It was Leo.

            “Damn it Donatello!”  A harsh pounding against the door and Raph’s curses made Don scurry backwards.

            Red’s head jerked around, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the door.  From deep inside his chest came a sound which Don at first feared was a growl, but then he realized that it was Red’s way of expressing frustration.

            Don placed his palm against Red’s chest and got his attention.  “Stay here.  I’ll talk to them.”

            Red didn’t reply but neither did he move so Don took that as his acquiescence.  Stepping away from the clone, Don made it to the edge of the stall before the door slid open and both Leo and Raph dashed into the bathroom, weapons in hand.

            “Put those away!” Don demanded harshly.

            “Have ya’ lost your . . . .” Raph began.

            “What is wrong with you two?” Don asked before Raph could finish speaking.  He was feeling a mixture of emotions, both anger and exasperation warring for his attention.

            “You lowered the shield,” Leo said, katana still in hand.

            “Ya’ took it down and disappeared into the bathroom,” Raph echoed, glowering at Don.

            “And you thought that Red was going to take over the building from inside the showers?” Don asked incredulously.

            “We thought he was hurting ya’!” Raph shouted.

            Don felt Red coming up behind him and carefully placed himself between the giant and his brothers.

            “I never hurt Donny,” Red said, his voice a deep rumble.

            “Wait,” Don said, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his siblings.  “How do you know what we were doing?”

            Leo and Raph looked at each other before slowly putting their weapons away.

            “We were concerned that you were spending all of your time in the sick bay and possibly not sleeping or eating properly,” Leo answered.  “You got upset with us if we tried to check in on you so we had to find another way to keep tabs on things.”

            Understanding flashed in Don’s brown orbs.  “You installed cameras.”

            “We had ta do something,” Raph said.  “Ya’ won’t even talk ta us.  Ya’ know damn well ya’ would have done the same thing in our place.”

            “I would have trusted your judgment,” Don said hotly.  “I wouldn’t have insisted that you do something contrary to what your gut was telling you just because I harbored some lingering prejudice that no longer applies.”

            “They tried ta burn us once, Donny,” Raph said, keeping his temper in check with an effort.  “You’re usually good about telling us everything, but this time ya’ went off on us like a misfired rocket.  It ain’t a question of your judgment, it’s a question of feelings and if you’re letting ‘em get in the way of common sense.”

            “What are you accusing me of?” Don asked, becoming angrier by the second.  “Do you think I’d let my emotions put my family at risk?  Isn’t that a bit like the pot calling the kettle black?”

            Raph took a step towards him and Leo caught his arm.  “We aren’t accusing you of anything, Donatello.  All we’re asking is that you grant us the right to a modicum of concern.”

            Unexpectedly, it was Red who eased the tension between the siblings.  Placing a hand on Don’s shoulder, he said, “Donny brother’s right.  They worry.  Donny is special to them.  Red not special to them and Red been bad before.  I re-member.  Not bad now but brothers don’t know.”

            Don looked up at Red who was gazing at him with an almost pleading expression.  The anger he was feeling melted away as their eyes silently communicated.

            Turning back to his brothers, Don said, “The cameras have to go.  I’ll expand the force shield to encompass the entire sick bay to give you peace of mind but still allow Red some freedom of movement.  It was bad enough what he had to suffer living under Dun’s control, I won’t cage him here.”

            Leo imperceptibly tightened his grip on Raph’s arm before saying, “You don’t have to do that, Don.  If you believe the force shield isn’t necessary, then we won’t use it anymore.”

            Raph jerked around to stare at Leo.  “What are ya’ doing?”

            “My one request is that Red goes nowhere by himself,” Leo said, speaking to Don but looking at Raph.  “You have to admit that the rest of this family has a right to some level of comfort with your decisions.”

            “Agreed,” Don said with a sigh of relief.  “Now how about you two exit so Red and I can dry off?”

            Leo thought he might have to drag Raph out of the bathroom, but a single solid tug on the hot head’s arm got him moving.  Raph pulled away from him as soon as the door slid shut behind them and stomped out of the sick bay with Leo right on his heels.

            It was obvious that Raph was holding back with an effort and sure enough, as soon as they were out of earshot of Donatello, Raph spun on his brother.

            “You’re giving him the run of the building?  What are ya’ thinking?” Raph demanded to know.

            “I’m thinking that if he’s going to make a move on us, he needs the opportunity to do so,” Leo said calmly.  “I’d rather he do it now than to give Don even more time to become attached to him.  You saw exactly what I did on that monitor; what do you think is going on with those two?”

            Raph stood there seething for a few more minutes, inhaling and exhaling heavily as he reviewed Leo’s reasoning.  As much as he hated to admit it, his brother was right yet again.

            “Attached ain’t exactly the word I would have used,” Raph said slowly.  “Obsessed might be a better word for it, at least from Don’s standpoint.  As far as Red goes, he’s doing an awful lot of touching, if ya’ know what I mean.  The way he looks at Donny and makes sure he’s real close ta the genius all the time is a sure sign he’s picking out a mate.  Are ya’ gonna let that happen?”

            “Antagonizing Don is a good way to drive him straight into Red’s arms,” Leo told him.

            Staring at his brother, Raph said, “Always strategizing, ain’t ya’?  Ya’ figure if Don sees Red interacting with the rest of us that maybe some of the bloom will fall off the rose?  Nothing’s as sweet as the forbidden fruit?”

            Leo chuckled.  “You’re full of clichés today.  In answer to your question, I would like to make sure that Don’s obsession with Red isn’t simply because the rest of us are telling him to stay away from the big guy.  You know how stubborn Donatello can be.”

            “Yeah,” Raph said, glancing back at the sick bay thoughtfully.  “I sure as shell do.”

Day 20

            Ten days had passed since the episode in the shower and Red hadn’t repeated the behavior he’d exhibited then with Don.  Instead he’d seemed focused on learning as much as he could from his mentor, even beginning to read chapter books all by himself.

            Don was rather proud of that fact, along with the progress that Red was making physically.  He was strong again, his broken bones having knit well and his muscle tone hadn’t suffered from lack of use.

            There did seem to be some loss when it came to his range of motion and that was the main reason the two of them were in the dojo together.  Red’s weapons hadn’t been returned to him, but Don had supplied him with a specially sized Bo staff and was teaching him the basics.

            In the back of Don’s mind he wondered if Red had outgrown his previous interest in the smaller turtle.  It was easily possible that as Red progressed through the various stages of maturity his hormones would have been screaming at him and Red wouldn’t have understood the feelings.

            Don should have been relieved by that thought because then he wouldn’t have to worry about something inappropriate or awkward developing between them.  Somehow he wasn’t though; if anything Don felt like he’d lost a chance at something special, something he might never have the chance to experience.

            There was another possible answer of course, one that Don held onto despite his own better judgment.  Ever since Leo had allowed Red a certain amount of freedom, the two of them hadn’t enjoyed very much time alone.  Even when they were simply sitting together reading someone was always making an appearance.

            That was partly why Don had suggested they work out together in the dojo.  Don wasn’t going to instigate anything; wasn’t going to make any kind of move that could be misconstrued by Red, yet he couldn’t help but set up a scenario that would give Red another opportunity to express himself.  Don had to know.

           “Watch your stance as you spin the Bo,” Don instructed.  “Balance is key to every movement.”

            “Like this?” Red asked.

            “Right hand under your left elbow,” Don said.  “Let the momentum work for you, don’t try to fight it.”

            Red’s face was a study in concentration as he slowly moved the Bo through figure eights, his large hands transitioning perfectly.  Don couldn’t stop a brightly pleased smile from etching his face as he watched his student overcome the clumsiness of his own large size.

            As Red snapped the Bo back into the ready position, Don clapped.  “Perfect!  You learn so quickly.  How does your left arm feel?”

            Straightening and bending it a few times, Red said, “Good as new.  It’s not even sore.”

            “That’s wonderful,” Don said, happy not only that Red’s arm was all right, but at how well the mutant clone could now speak.

            Red was looking at him strangely and Don’s brow furrowed, wondering what was on his mind.  “Red?”

            “Donny, I want to ask you something,” Red said, taking a couple of steps towards the smaller turtle.

            “Of course,” Don replied, heart thumping madly in his chest.  “Ask me anything.”

            Before Don could even blink, Red whipped the Bo staff around behind him, pressing it horizontally across the turtle’s carapace.  With a large hand on either end of the staff, Red pulled Don flush against him.

            “I’ve given you nearly two weeks to think about what almost happened between us in the shower,” Red said, lowering his head so that it was close to Don’s.  “Have you?”

            “I thought it w . . . was just curiosity,” Don stammered.

            “Mine or yours?” Red asked.  “You closed your eyes and lifted your mouth towards mine.  What would have happened if your brothers hadn’t come in?”

            For the first time, Don felt as though he wasn’t the one in control and it didn’t panic him the way he thought it might have.

            “I hope my brothers are wrong,” Don whispered.  “I hope you aren’t trying to trick me.”

            “Close your eyes again,” Red husked.

            Don stared up at Red for another second, then let his eyelids slowly slide shut.  He felt the clone’s breath puff lightly against his face, heard the Bo staff hit the ground just before Red’s arms closed around his body.

            “I love you, Donny,” Red groaned, his voice filled with need.

            As soon as the words left his mouth, Red’s lips covered Don’s.

TBC………


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,832 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p6 R  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

Day 22

            “Something’s going on with those two,” Raph grumbled in a low tone.

            He was watching Don and Red, who were both in the kitchen.  Don was teaching the large clone how to cook, starting with something simple like scrambled eggs.  It had been trial and error at first mainly because Red was so big that manipulating a normal sized pan and spatula was like Don trying to cook with a leaf and toothpick.

            Don had finally fashioned a set of extra-large tubes that he could slide onto normal sized handles, something that gripped tightly enough so that they functioned as an acceptable work around for Red.

            Serling on the other hand was less than delighted by Red’s presence in the kitchen and had removed all breakables quickly, expressing his displeasure as he did so.  Cody was too fascinated by Red’s progress to listen to his robotic butler’s protests which left Serling surly at best.

            Leo sat next to Raph on the couch, the pair of them ostensibly watching Mikey battle his way through a horde of invading hologram aliens on his latest video game.

            “We need to talk to him,” Leo said quietly, “but they are rarely apart.”

            “So?  There he is, grab him and let’s go talk,” Raph said, waving towards the kitchen to emphasize his point.

            “Not like that,” Leo said sharply.  “Red will get defensive and Don will become angry and even more stubborn.  I’ve got a better plan.”

            “Of course you do,” Raph said with a light snort.

            “Mikey, it’s time,” Leo called to his youngest brother, his voice just loud enough to attract Michelangelo’s attention.

            Raph looked at Leo, thinking he’d lost his mind.  There was no way he was going to pull Mikey away from his game.

            As Mikey continued to blast away at the alien invaders, Raph assumed he was right.  He was about to say something when Mikey suddenly stopped the game, untangled himself from the gaming harness and then sauntered into the kitchen.

            He stood watching Red and Don for a couple of minutes and then shoved his way in front of his brother.  “No, no, that’s not the way to make the best scrambled eggs.  What are you teaching him Donny?  Why don’t you stick to reading and writing and let the master chef teach Red here how to cook.”

            Surprised, Don said, “Be my guest.  I’m sure we’d all love to benefit from your expertise.”

            “Good.”  Mikey promptly grabbed the pan off of the stove and turned the contents into the sink, missing slightly and leaving a trail of yellow clumps on the floor and countertop. 

            Setting the pan back on the stove top, Mikey said, “Let’s start all over again.”

            “Yes, could we please?” Serling said, surveying Mikey’s mess.  “Preferably to the day before Master Cody accidently brought you all here.”

            After watching the byplay in the kitchen, Raph turned to stare at Leo expectantly.

            “Go up to the roof,” Leo instructed, “and stay out of sight.  I’ll get Don up there on some pretext.  Don’t come out right away; I don’t want him to think he’s been ambushed until I’ve got him mellow enough to listen to us.”

            Raph shrugged but got up and made his way out of the room.  He wasn’t sure what Leo had up his shell, but this was better than sitting there watching Don pamper his new pet clone.

            Leo waited just long enough so that it wouldn’t appear that he and Raph were plotting something.  He had to time it right because he didn’t know how long Mikey could stretch out his cooking lesson.

            When he was positive that the moment was perfect, Leo walked into the kitchen.  He had to push past Serling who was trying to clean while Mikey was working, which was a losing battle though the robot refused to grasp that concept.

            Standing close to Don, Leo glanced at him and grinned. “We should probably get out of the line of fire.”

            Don pulled his attention away from Red, frowning uncertainly.  “I suppose we could move back.”

            “There’s no room to maneuver in here,” Leo said, illustrating his point by ducking away from Serling’s arm as the robot reached for a towel Mikey had tossed on the floor.  “Besides, there’s something on the roof that needs your attention.”

            Leo didn’t give Don the chance to say no as he started off.  Don looked over at Red, deciding that this would be a good opportunity for the big guy to bond with at least one of his brothers, so he left them alone.

            Catching up to his older brother, Don asked, “What is it?”

            “It’s a security issue,” Leo told him cryptically.

            Don immediately looked concerned.  “Is there a problem with the system?  Cody knows it inside and out, wasn’t he able to fix it?”

            “This is something I don’t want to worry Cody with,” Leo said.  “He has enough on his plate running his company now that Dun’s out of the picture.”

            When they stepped outside Don’s first stop was to check the long range perimeter alarms, but everything seemed to be in working order.  Puzzled, he glanced at Leo and asked, “Is it the roof top defense weaponry?  Cody and I replaced everything that the Dark Turtles destroyed on their last attack; we even added some new things.”

            Leo shook his head.  “No, the problem isn’t with any of the building technology.  It does have to do with the Dark Turtles though.”

            Frowning, Don straightened from his position in front of the control panel.  “What about them?”

            “Please try not to become defensive and just hear me out,” Leo said.  “Exactly how close have you and Red become?”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” Don asked, on guard despite Leo’s request.

            Leo held his hands up, palms outward in a calming gesture.  “Red seems to be completely healed but you two are practically inseparable.  You don’t need to continuously monitor his health any longer but I’m wondering why you are always with him.  Do you have concerns that he might do something detrimental to this household?”

            “No,” Don said quickly, starting to understand what Leo meant by ‘security issue’.  “Trust me; Red is not a danger to us at all.  I saved his life and I feel responsible for his future.  With that portion of his brain wiped clean of artificial programming, Red is as capable of learning and growing as anyone.  In fact more so because the accelerant that was used in the cloning process gave his mind the capacity to absorb new things at an exciting rate.

            “We thought the clones were underdeveloped mentally but that’s only due to Sh’Okanabo’s manipulations.  He wanted to keep them as primitive as possible and ensure that they were completely malleable.  Without his influence Red has free will and his DNA – the DNA supplied by us – is what guides his core principles now.”

            “Dark Don isn’t mentally underdeveloped,” Leo reminded him.

            “He is for someone created from my DNA,” Don said flatly, not bragging but simply pointing out facts.  “With him Sh’Okanabo and Dun were less concerned with stunting his intellect than with changing his basic nature because I’m not the aggressive type.”

            “No ya’ ain’t,” Raph said, coming out to where Don could see him.  He felt like it was a good time to make his appearance since Leo had the genius talking.  “Red is though, ‘cause as ya’ pointed out, DNA will tell and he’s got mine.”

            Don felt a surge of outrage as he realized that Leo had manipulated him into a confrontation.  He’d used Mikey to distract Red and had sent Raph on ahead so that Don wouldn’t get suspicious.

            With an effort, Don kept his irritation in check.  His brothers had obviously decided to treat this as an intervention and since they were determined to listen to him, Don could turn the situation to his favor.

            “He does have your DNA,” Don replied.  “He’s very much like you in personality.  To me that makes him family and you don’t dump a member of your family just because he occasionally has bursts of temper.  And by the way, Red hasn’t had any anger issues at all since he’s been here.  The more he interacts with us the better.  When he does get mad about something, which will happen because he’s completely normal, he’ll learn to manage his outbursts just the way you have.”

            “You sound as if you expect that he’ll be with us for a long time,” Leo said before Raph could speak.  He was determined to keep the emotions in their conversation on an even keel.

            “Red can’t go back to his family,” Don stated firmly.   “He isn’t like them anymore, he’s one of us.  Would you just kick him out and tell him to fend for himself?  Exactly what would his options be?  He has no formal training, he has no background and no antecedents, and he’d probably be picked up by the peace keepers and jailed.  That’s hardly giving him a fair shake.”

            “How the shell can ya’ spout off about fair?  Don’t ya’ remember how those clones ambushed us and took our weapons before beating us unconscious?  They didn’t have any honor then and they still ain’t got any,” Raph said forcefully.

            “That isn’t who Red is anymore,” Don said emphatically.

            “His brothers ain’t changed,” Raph shot back.

            “He’s not linked to them now,” Don argued.  “They didn’t come back for him when he was hurt.  They don’t care.”

            “Just because the bond is gone doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten him or that Dun has no further use for him,” Leo said.  “There’s a very real possibility that his brothers will come to take him from us.  As bad as they are, they are still Red’s brothers.  He might respond to them for that reason alone, after all he has no real attachment to us, does he Donny?”

            Don had to admire how masterfully Leo slid that question in there.  He’d earlier asked how close Don and Red had become and that appeared to be something Leo expected an answer to.

            Although Don knew he should respond quickly in order to dispel his brother’s suspicions, his memory raced back to two days earlier.  Red had shown that his attraction to Don was genuine by kissing him.  It wasn’t a peck on the lips either; Red had literally enveloped the smaller turtle, his large tongue doing amazing things inside Don’s mouth.

            Donatello had liked it, shell he’d _wanted_ it.  His entire body had lit up like a house on fire.  After a few minutes, one of Red’s hands had started to drift, groping at Don’s rear and then sliding around front to rub at the sensitive spot between Don’s legs.

            The feeling of totally losing control of himself was transcendent.  Pure instinct caused Don to lift his knee so that he could grind it against the bulge in Red’s lower plastron, drawing a deep bass churr from the large clone.

            It was only the knowledge that Cody or a member of Don’s family might decide to check the dojo monitors that made Don pull away from Red.  He’d pointed out to a thoroughly aroused Red that they didn’t have any privacy.  Red had accepted the limitations of their situation but Don knew what the clone wanted.  Don was desperate for it as well.

            “He won’t go to them,” Don said slowly.  “I’m more family to him than they ever were.  I won’t let them take him by force and you won’t stand by and watch me fight them alone.”

            Leo stared at him in surprise.  Don had never issued an ultimatum but that statement certainly sounded like one.  Apparently it sounded the same way to Raph because a low growl issued forth from deep in his chest.

            “We’ll always have your back, Donatello,” Leo said.  “But if Red chooses to leave with his brothers, we aren’t going to stand back and watch you try to prove a point by intervening in his decision.  Do I make myself clear?”

            Don had never engaged in a war of wills with Leonardo.  To him, Leo’s leadership was something to be followed without question.  It felt bizarre to be butting heads with the blue banded turtle, especially with Raph right there backing him up.

            Since it wasn’t his nature to accelerate a situation to the point of hostility, Don changed gears rather than address the question.

            “I understand that you guys think I’m abandoning you to some degree,” Don said.  “I have been spending all of my time teaching Red, but that’s because he needs to feel included.  I’m ecstatic that Mikey is in there with him right now and treating him like a member of the family.  We should do more though.  He needs privacy; Red can’t stay in the sick bay forever.  He should have a room of his own.”

            “If we give Red a bedroom, are ya’ gonna stay in there with him?” Raph demanded to know.

            Don flushed at the implication.  “What do you mean?”

            Raph moved up to stand directly in front of his smart brother.  “I got eyes.”

            Leo made as if to grab his arm, but Raph shrugged him off.  “Raph, no.”

            “Back off,” Raph barked without taking his eyes off Don.  “Red can’t keep his hands off of ya’.  He don’t look at nothing else when you’re around and ya’ keep finding ways ta get right inside his personal space.  What do the two of ya’ do when you’re alone?”

            “When exactly do we have the time to be alone?” Don snapped back.  “You think I don’t know that someone is always spying on us?  Thank you so much for that vote of confidence.”

            “It isn’t that we don’t trust you,” Leo said, intervening swiftly.  “Under normal circumstances you would agree that outside monitoring was warranted as a secondary precaution.”

            “It isn’t any more,” Don said, turning on Leo.  Riled up, he forgot to be cautious.  “Red loves me.  We want to show our affection for each other without worrying about who might be watching.”

            The revelation was exactly what had been worrying Leo when he’d first noticed the unusual attachment between his brother and Red.  For Leo, hearing Don admit to a romantic feeling for the clone wasn’t unexpected.  He’d been sure that it wouldn’t be startling to Raph either, but Leo was wrong.

            “No!” Raph exclaimed, grabbing hold of Don’s shoulders in a tight grip.  “Ya’ quit that now!  You’re too good for that damn clone, you’re too good for anybody, do ya’ hear me?  That’s why I . . . .”

            Raph suddenly stopped shouting, his mouth clamping shut in obvious embarrassment.  Don appeared to have frozen in place, unable to pull away from Raph or to stop staring at him.

            Leo felt as though he was gawking as well.  “Raph, have you thought about Don that way?” he asked.

            “Shut up, Leo,” Raph snarled.  “Forget I opened my fucking mouth.”

            “I won’t.”  Leo slowly pushed his way between his brothers and forced Raph to release Don.  Facing Raph, Leo said, “This is important.  It explains why Red is so attracted to Donny.  It’s in his DNA.”

            “Why the hell does that matter?” Raph asked belligerently.

            “Because it means that Red’s feelings are genuine,” Leo answered.  “It means we can trust him.”

            “Ya’ trust him if ya’ want,” Raph said.  “I say he needs ta keep his hands off Donny.”

            “That’s my business,” Don said as gently as he could.  “I love you, Raphael, but only as a brother.  Maybe because Red is so much you explains why I have feelings for him, but those feelings aren’t similar to mine for you.  I’m sorry.”

            “This ain’t right,” Raph insisted, his eyes imploring Leo to agree with him.

            “Red can have his bedroom,” Leo said, glancing over his shoulder at Don.  “But you have to promise not to rush things with him.  I need for you to really think about all of the repercussions of any action you might take.  All of them Donatello, including how your relationship might affect the family.”

            “I can do that,” Don said.  “I haven’t taken any of this lightly bros.”

            “Then go back in there and make sure Mikey hasn’t destroyed the kitchen trying to keep Red away from here,” Leo said.

            Don hesitated; concerned with the way Raph was glaring at Leo.  “Maybe I should . . . .” he began.

            “Raph and I need to talk,” Leo said, interrupting him.  “Go on; this is between us now.”

            Taking a deep breath, Don nodded and went back into the building.  Raph took a step forward as though to follow, but Leo blocked his path.

            “Tell me why I shouldn’t deck ya’ right now,” Raph growled at him.

            “This is why,” Leo said, leaning forward to plant a kiss squarely on Raph’s mouth.

TBC……………


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,240 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p7 R  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

            It felt odd to be kissing Raph so boldly and right out in the open, but once Leo had started he couldn’t seem to stop.  The feeling of Raph’s lips against his was just as addicting as Leo had always imagined it would be.

            He didn’t figure he’d have much time to enjoy it because he expected Raph to punch him in the face almost immediately.  Instead, his brother didn’t even flinch.  Concerned with Raph’s lack of reaction, Leo broke off from his lip lock.

            Raph was staring at him with the most enigmatic expression Leo had ever seen on his brother’s face.  He didn’t appear shocked or mad; in fact Leo wasn’t sure how he was reacting until Raph opened his mouth to say, “You too?”

            Leo didn’t know what he meant and wasn’t going to risk misinterpreting those words.  “Pardon?”

            With a grunt, Raph grasped the back of Leo’s neck and pulled him close, this time initiating a kiss that involved more than just their lips.  Leo had a second to wonder how his brother could be so good at this, and then he simply lost himself to the sensual feeling.

            “Damn!” Raph exclaimed, panting hard when they once more separated.  “I didn’t know ya’ had that kind of passion in ya’ Leo.”

            Leo flattened his palm against Raph’s plastron and softly stroked the scutes.  “There are a lot of things I’ve kept hidden from you,” he finally admitted.

            “Ya’ have a strange way of coming out about them,” Raph said, completely turned on by Leo’s touch.

            “Seeing as it’s you I figured action would go a lot further than words,” Leo said.  Furrowing his brow, Leo asked, “What did you mean when you said ‘you too’?”

            “Don’t be coy,” Raph said.  “Ya’ ain’t been stalking Don and Red just ‘cause ya’ have a brotherly concern for the genius’ welfare.  You’ve wanted Donny too, haven’t ya’?”

            Not one to shy away from the truth, Leo said, “Yes.  Had you thought about me before this?”

            “Shell yeah,” Raph said.  “I sure as shit wasn’t gonna let on though ‘cause I figured you’d bust my balls about it.”

            Raph’s colorful language was one of the reasons Leo loved him.  “How about Mikey?” he asked.

            “Mikey too, the knucklehead,” Raph confessed.  “Can’t really figure that one out ‘cause he mostly annoys me.  You?”

            “Absolutely,” Leo said with a smile.  “You and I both know that just being around him is exciting.”

            “I suppose so,” Raph acknowledged grudgingly.  “He probably starts shit with me just ta get my attention.”

            “My suspicion is that’s true,” Leo told him.

            “Ya’ think Don feels the same?” Raph asked.

            Leo thought about it and then sighed.  “Yes I do.  I don’t think he comprehends his feelings because of his new attachment to Red.  Having those kinds of thoughts about Red is safe.”

            “Will he ever, ya’ know, admit anything ta us?” Raph asked hopefully.

            “Maybe, maybe not.”  Leo took a deep breath, his eyes searching Raph’s.  “It doesn’t matter as long as he’s here with us.  That’s all that counts.  If we have to accept Red in order to keep Don by our side, then so be it. You love Don enough for that, don’t you?”

            “Yeah I do,” Raph said, his manner almost shy.  “Whatever makes him happy makes me happy, and yes, I feel like a sap saying that.  I wanna add that Red better not screw it up or betray Don ‘cause if he does I’ll beat his red butt to a pulp.

            Leo laughed.  “We’ll both do it.  Come on, let’s see if Serling has blown a gasket yet.”

            Raph caught his arm as Leo started to go back inside.  “What about us?”

            “We’ll keep it to ourselves for a while,” Leo said.  “I don’t want Don to think we’re together because you were desperate or I was trying to ease your pain.  He should know by now that facing reality is what we do best, but he’s in love and that will make him look at things differently.”

            “Like a sap,” Raph said and then laughed.  “I kinda like the idea of keeping this a secret, makes it more exciting.”

            “It figures you’d enjoy sneaking around and trying not to get caught,” Leo said, his tone lightly mocking.

            Raph reached out and pinched his ass.

Day 25

            Setting up a bedroom for Red’s use took longer than Don had thought it would.

            It wasn’t that Cody didn’t have the space; his penthouse was large enough for him to easily take in ten Red’s.  The difficulty was that due to Red’s size and shape, most of the furniture had to be custom made and the attached bathroom had to be gutted and refitted to accommodate Red’s large bulk.

            Although there was space in the wing that Don and his brothers occupied, the genius felt it would be more prudent for Red’s bedroom to be located in a separate wing, away from the other turtles, Master Splinter, and Cody.

            None of his brothers asked about his reasoning because they already understood, although Raph stomped off in a huff and wouldn’t talk to Don for the rest of the day.  Cody, being both curious and young, had wanted to know why they didn’t want Red closer to them.  Don had left the explanation up to Leo, who thought of something suitable to tell the boy.

            Master Splinter asked no questions beyond a single one.  He had stopped Donatello on his way to supervise the construction of Red’s room and pulled him aside.

            “Yes, Master Splinter?” Don asked, thinking his father was going to reprimand him for missing so many practice sessions.

            “My son, have you given your decision as much consideration as possible?” Master Splinter asked, his eyes boring into Don’s.

            Don opened his mouth to hedge, then realized that would do no good with his father.  It was quite clear that Master Splinter knew exactly what was going on.

            “I have sensei,” Don answered.  “I have spent nearly a month thinking about this from every possible angle.  I’ve already told Leo and Raph how I feel and they’ve assured me that Mikey knows as well.”

            Master Splinter closed his eyes, both hands on his walking stick as he leaned against it.  After a moment his shoulders straightened and he looked up at his son.  “As long as I know that you have thought this through, I will say no more.  Please do not lose sight of your obligations to your brothers.”

            The admonition was almost exactly the same as Leo’s.  “I won’t father,” Don promised.  “I’ll never do anything that would hurt them or cause them to be in danger.”

            “Very well.”  Master Splinter patted his arm before starting to walk away.  “I am proud of you, Donatello.”

            Don had urged Red to put his own personal touches on the room.  Having never had a space to call his own, Red didn’t really know what to do and left most of it up to Don.  He did however request a bookcase because he’d grown fond of real books in binders.  Another thing he wanted and received was a picture of Donatello, which he hung in a prominent place on his wall.

            Interacting with the family had become normal for Red, though Don stayed with him as much as possible.  Mikey was the most friendly with the clone, Master Splinter, Leo, and Cody were cordial and polite, and Serling treated him no differently than any of the other turtles.

            Raphael was a different story altogether.  He was still suspicious of Red and let the clone know as often as he could that he didn’t trust him.  Dropping snide comments directed at Red became the norm for Raph; it was as if he was trying to get the clone to lose his temper.

            For the most part, Red was able to ignore the things that Raph said, but there were times when it required Don’s gentle touch or a beseeching look from the genius’ big brown orbs to calm Red’s rising temper.

            Fortunately, though Raph wouldn’t stop his rancorous behavior, he didn’t continue to push when it was clear he was going beyond being just plain rude.  This rather surprised Don though he did notice that Leo was always quick to intervene and that a few whispered words were enough to get Raph to leave with him.  Don had no idea what Leo’s new magic formula was for taming Raph, but he was grateful all the same.

            Now the room was finally finished.  Don and Red stood near each other in the large bedroom, surveying the work that had been done.  There was a slight awkwardness between them because it was the first time in days that they had truly been alone together.

            The other times had been fleeting because they never knew when they were going to be interrupted.  Since the dojo encounter the only thing they’d managed was a quick kiss or affectionate hug, both afraid to start something they knew they wouldn’t be able to finish.

           Whether or not they were interrupted now was up to them because Don had locked the door.  He wasn’t consciously setting things up for a chance at intimacy, but he also wasn’t going to lose the opportunity if it were to arise.

            It also gave Don some sense of control to be the one to secure Red’s bedroom door.  He had a feeling that Red had purposely left it up to him and as far as Don was concerned, that was another display of the clone’s honesty.

            “This feels strange,” Red said quietly, breaking the silence.

            Don glanced at him.  “What does?”

            “Calling something ‘mine’,” Red answered.  “I never had a room before, or a bed, or anything really, except my weapons.  It’s funny that I don’t miss them.  Maybe it’s because they remind me of bad times and of doing bad things.”

            “Let’s sit down,” Don suggested, wanting to dispel some of the unease that had settled over them.  He took a seat in the reading chair while Red perched on the edge of the bed.

            “Tell me what’s bothering you,” Don said once they were slightly more comfortable.

            Red sighed.  “I know your brothers aren’t happy that I want to stay with you,” he said bluntly.  “They worry that I’m not good enough for you and that I’ll miss my brothers and want to go back to them.  They think that I’ll do that and hurt you.  I don’t know how to make them believe that I would never do that to you.  When they look at me they still see a monster and it’s true, I am a monster.”

            Don stared at him for a second and then got up from the chair to sit next to Red.  “You are not a monster,” Don said forcefully.

            “You know a lot of things, Donny,” Red told him, looking sorrowfully at the smaller turtle, “but you don’t understand what it means to be a monster.”

            “Let me tell you something,” Don said, reaching over to take one of Red’s hands in his.  “I’m the only one who _does_ understand what it is to be a monster because I was one once.  I was infected by something that caused a secondary mutation in my body.  It transformed me into little more than a hulking, angry beast that couldn’t recognize its own family.

            “My friends and family didn’t give up on me even when I was at my worst.  They went through hell and made a deal with the devil to cure me.  They did that because they loved me and that was what saved me more than anything.  You can’t be a monster if someone truly loves you.  I love you, Red.”

            The clone cradled Don’s smaller hand between his two large ones, his expression suddenly shy.  “You know I’m yours forever now, don’t you, Donny?” he asked in a husky voice.  “You saved my life and you’re responsible for it.”

            “I’m sure it doesn’t work that way,” Don responded coyly.  “Whatever we do, we’ll do together, so let’s skip responsible and go right to devotion to each other.”

            “You’re so damn smart,” Red said with a rakish grin.

            “Hey, watch the language,” Don scolded playfully.

            Red laughed.  “Can’t help it, it’s in my genes.  Know what else I can’t help?”

            “What?” Don asked.

            “This.”  Red leaned towards Don and kissed him.  After a minute he pulled back and searched Don’s eyes.

            Flicking his tongue over his lips, Don swallowed his nervousness and said, “Yes.”

            The word barely left his mouth before Red’s arms were around him, pulling Donatello from his seated position and onto the clones lap.  Their mouths found each other’s again and Red slowly lay back, taking Don with him.

            Amidst heavy panting breaths and a growing arousal, Red stripped Don of his gear.  The smaller turtle barely noticed; his mouth and tongue busy ravishing Red’s.

            If half the household had pounded on the door just then, Don would have ignored them.  Desire clouded his thoughts, just as they did Red’s.  The bedside table held the lubricant Don had the foresight to place there, but beyond that they let their instincts guide them.

            Their instincts continued to guide them throughout the night until after many long and lustful hours consummating their relationship, the pair literally passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This extremely enticing image was created for this story by the very talented Nei-Ning from DeviantArt.  
> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,240 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p8 R  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

Day 31

            Red lay patiently still on the medical bed in Cody’s sick bay as Don ran a full series of physical tests on him, including blood work.  His x-rays showed that there were no lingering ill effects from his injuries and Don was more than pleased that not only had the broken bones healed perfectly, but that his flexibility had fully returned.

            The final and most time consuming task was a full brain scan.  Don intended to use the information he’d acquired from the many previous scans he’d done in order to map the clone’s brain.  He had several reasons for wanting to do this, one of which was of course his own curiosity.  Next was Don’s thought that the information would be useful for future dealings with Red’s brothers.  Finally and possibly most important was the argument he’d had with Leo when they’d first brought the clone back to Cody’s home.

            Although Don felt that Red’s behavior proved his point that the injury had destroyed any pre-programmed animosity in the clone’s brain, it bothered him that Leo might still think it was all an act. 

            Dark Leo had been with them far longer than a month and had tried to trick them into believing he wasn’t their enemy.  It was obvious that their experience with Red’s brother was part of the reason for Raph’s continued distrust.  Though Leo was better at hiding his feelings, Don could tell he was leery of the clone as well.

            Don had told Leo that tests would prove that his hypothesis was right.  Somehow, someway, Don meant to give his brother that proof, whether Leo really wanted it anymore or not.

            As Don studied the results of the brain scan, Red studied him.  After a moment Don could feel his lover’s eyes and he glanced down from the screen with a smile.

            “This is extraordinary,” Don said.  “It really appears that the section of your brain where you sustained the injury was graphed in rather than being part of the cloning growth process.  No doubt it was Sh’Okanabo’s handiwork.  The graph had absolutely no purpose other than to retard your mental processes and provide that shape shifter with a powerful way to control you.”

            “It was there to keep me a dumb animal,” Red said.

            “To keep you malleable,” Don corrected.  Red looked at him strangely and Don explained, “To make it so you and your brothers were completely influenced by him and didn’t try to think for yourselves.”

            Red grimaced.  “It made me bad.”

            “Through no fault of your own,” Don was quick to add.  Red’s eyes turned up towards the ceiling and Don could tell he had something on his mind.  “What is it?”

            “If my brothers got rid of the graph thing on their brain then maybe they could learn to be good too,” Red said slowly.

            That took Don by surprise.  It was the first time he’d talked about his brothers in something more than a passing reference.  “I suppose that’s possible,” Don said cautiously.

            “Even if I could save my brothers they can’t have a life here,” Red said, turning his eyes back to Don.  “They – we – have already done too much bad and the peace keepers would throw us in jail.  They wouldn’t care if it’s not our fault.  None of the people would care either, they only want the peace keepers to get rid of the monsters.”

            “Red, do you miss your brothers?” Don asked carefully.

            “No,” Red said, shaking his head.  “I don’t feel connected to them except that I know they are my brothers.  Maybe the graph thing causes that too.”

            “I don’t think they would have left you otherwise,” Don said.

            “You don’t have to say that to make me feel better,” Red told him.  “I’m glad they left me.  If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t be with you Donny.  You’re the only one I care about.”

            Don leaned down to nuzzle Red’s neck.  “I love you.”

            “I love you too,” Red said.  “When you go back to your time can I come too?  I can make a fresh start there.”

            “Of course,” Don replied without hesitation.  “I want you to come with me.  I don’t want to ever be without you.”

            Red smiled with genuine joy at Don’s words.  A second later there was a quick flash of mischief in Red’s eyes as he said, “Okay I was really patient while you poked and prodded me, so I get to say what we do next.  That was our deal.”

            Don glanced back up at the scan results.  “Just a little longer; I want to set the current results into the . . . .”

            He stopped talking when Red slowly sat up, swinging his legs off of the bed, his gaze locked on Don.  Backing up, Don watched as Red hopped down and began stalking him.

            “Now Red, hold on there,” Don protested.  “I’m only asking for another half hour, maybe an hour at the most.”

            “You forget how to tell time when you do brainy stuff,” Red said, matching Don move for move.

            Don tried to dart sideways, but Red anticipated him and was there to block his path.  “What are you up to?” Don asked suspiciously.

            “A deal’s a deal,” Red repeated before lunging forward.  His left arm came down and he scooped Don up, draping the wiggling turtle across his muscular bicep.

            Curling his arm, Red planted his palm firmly on Don’s carapace, thus preventing his lover from finding the leverage to get loose.

            “Hey!” Don exclaimed, pushing against the edge of Red’s shell.

            “Stop struggling,” Red told him, marching out of the sick bay with his captive.  “If you don’t want to play fair then I don’t have to either.”

            Although he was laughing hard, Don managed to say, “Put me down, I can walk.”

            “I know all your tricks,” Red said.  “You’ll run off.”

            Don tried kicking his legs, hoping he could dislodge Red’s hold.  Instead, the big clone lifted Don a little higher and lightly nipped at one of his butt cheeks.

            “Ow!” Don yelped, now completely turned on.

            The only part of Don’s mind that was still functioning was relieved to note that no one else was around to witness Red’s cave man act.  The clone made straight for his bedroom, kicking his door shut behind him as he entered.

            He went directly to the oversized bed and tossed Don onto it, quickly straddling the smaller turtle before Don could move.  When Don tried to push him away, Red caught both of his wrists in one hand and pressed them into the mattress above his head.

            Despite his rough play, Red was very careful not to actually hurt his lover.  They hadn’t done much creatively in bed because they had still been learning about each other and sex was new to both.  This aggressive show was completely spontaneous and if the way Don’s body was reacting was any indication, the bottoming turtle found it extremely arousing.

            Burying his face in Don’s neck, Red inhaled deeply, filling his nostrils with the genius’ scent.  The action made Don squirm under him, his hips lifting off of the bed as his body sought contact with his lover’s huge form.

            “Red,” Don gasped, hoping that the clone wasn’t going to tease him for long.

            In response, Red captured Don’s mouth in a searing kiss.  As his tongue wound its way into the smaller turtle’s mouth, Red slid his free hand down Don’s front.  He made sure to caress the ever growing bulge between Don’s legs before his hand drifted lower.

            Don stopped breathing in anticipation of being breached, but Red bypassed his entrance, instead going for the wriggling olive green tail.  When Don groaned, Red released his mouth and eyed the genius with an expression of treacherously lustful intent.

            “Did you want something?” Red asked.

            “You know what I want,” Don answered, panting hard but refusing to be baited.

            “Then I want something in return,” Red said, flicking his tongue across Don’s pulse point.

            “S . . . something in return?” Don asked, at a momentary loss.  Then he decided not to let Red have the upper hand.  “I should think my spreading my legs for you is enough,” he said saucily.

            “I like when Don-ny spreads his legs,” Red said in a sing-song voice reminiscent of when Don rescued him.  “That’s what I want; show me how wide they can go, ninja teacher.  Remember when you told me how Splinter made you balance on bricks while doing splits?  I want to see your legs that far apart.”

            “Right here?” Don asked, squirming as his imagination went into overdrive.

            “Yeah,” Red answered in a deepening growl.  “I’ll help.”

            Before Don could ask what that meant, Red let go of his wrists so that he could place both of his hands on Don’s inner thighs.  Pushing outward, Red coaxed Don into stretching his legs out to either side as far as they would go.

            Shifting down from his position over Don’s hips, Red kneeled between his lover’s widely spread legs.  Licking his lips as though anticipating a great feast, Red leaned down and applied his tongue liberally over and into two specific areas of Don’s lower region.

            For more than an hour the pair played their new game; Red as the aggressor and Don pretending to fight him off.  When they finally collapsed on the bed next to each other, Don was sure he’d never felt more sated.

            Breathing hard, Don said, “That was . . . .”

            “Awesome!” Red exclaimed, finishing his thought.  They both started laughing and then Red pulled Don into his arms, cushioning the genius’ head on one massive bicep, careful to keep him a safe distance from the horn like protrusions on Red’s face.

            “Can we stay here for the rest of the day?” Red asked in a low, relaxed voice.  “We could eat dinner here, then your brothers couldn’t look at me so suspiciously.”

            “They’re getting better,” Don said as he traced a random pattern on Red’s chest.  “Mikey does stuff with you all the time now.”

            “I think Mikey understands that I’ve changed,” Red said, “but he still passes information to Leo.”

           “Give them time,” Don said reassuringly.  “Speaking of which, we can rest for an hour but then we need to practice your basic katas.  Master Splinter was very adamant that you learn martial arts and if you don’t practice today he’ll be after me for it.”

            Red tilted his head down so that he could kiss Don.  “I don’t want your daddy to get mad at you.”

            “Trust me,” Don said with a laugh, “you don’t want him mad at you either.”

            An hour later it required a mixture of cajoling and threatening to get Red up and moving, but Don managed it.  Together the pair went out to the roof and onto the padded area that Cody had built specifically for their outdoor practice sessions.

            Working outside was more relaxing to Red because the other turtles were nowhere around.  Red was sure that the strange looks he got from Raph and Leo from time to time were because they knew the clone and their brother had just had sex.  Don guessed that Red was probably right, but he didn’t know what to do about it.  Red’s complaints that Don’s two alpha brothers were making him nervous was legitimate.  It was simply going to require more than Don’s assurances to get those two to back off.

            In the meantime, the fresh air was good for Red.  As Don put Red through his paces, the genius marveled at how quickly the clone learned new fighting techniques.  Despite Red’s large size, the cloned turtle was anything but clumsy and could move with incredible speed.

            Don was in the process of demonstrating the next form that Red had to learn when a loud hum filled the air.  The sound was almost immediately followed by something very large coming between them and the sun.

            The pair looked up at the same time and saw a large craft hovering above the roof top.  Don recognized it even before he saw Dark Don through its windshield.

            As their eyes met, Dark Don grinned evilly and then his arm moved towards the craft’s control panel.

            “Duck!” Don shouted, throwing himself to the ground.

            Red landed right next to him as laser fire shot over their heads and blasted the only door that could take them back into the safety of Cody’s penthouse.

TBC……………..


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 3,303 multi-chapter fic  
> Rated: p9 R Final  
> Based on: 2k3 Fast Forward yaoi Dark Raph/Don  
> Summary: Donatello follows his instinct to care for a fallen enemy. Will his decision prove to be the right one?

            Alarms sounded throughout Cody’s penthouse, sending the family scrambling to locate the breach.  Serling called out over the noise that some type of laser had been fired on the roof and the turtles raced in that direction.

            When Cody, Serling, and Master Splinter reached the roof entrance they saw the three brothers pounding at the crumpled metal, the frame and door fused together by the heat of the blast.

            “Don and Red are out there!” Cody exclaimed.  “I saw them leave a little while ago.”

            “We can go down and get the Hover Shell,” Mikey suggested.

            “Can’t ya’ cut through this metal?” Raph asked Serling.

            “Yes he can,” Cody said, “if he becomes Turtle X.”

            “Of course Master Cody,” Serling responded, reconfiguring himself into the armored protector and bending down so that Cody could leap inside.

            As Cody fired up Turtle X’s cutting torch, Leo turned to Mikey and said, “You and Master Splinter get the Hover Shell and fly up to the roof.  Raph and I will stay with Cody.  We’re racing against time here.”

            “Gotcha bro’,” Mikey said, turning on his heels and dashing away with Master Splinter right beside him.

            “It doubles our chances of getting there before something bad happens,” Leo said, looking at Raph.

            “Yeah, if it ain’t already,” Raph replied, willing the torch to go faster.

=====

            On the roof, Don lifted his head so that he could see if Dark Don was about to shoot at them again.  Instead, the purple clone was bringing the Terrorpin in for a landing, touching down quickly and smoothly.

            “We need to move, Red,” Don said as he jumped to his feet.

            Red rose as well, his eyes glued to the craft as a door in its belly opened.  This was immediately followed by the appearance of Dark Leo, who leaped down and turned towards Don and Red.  Both of the other clones soon joined him, all three wearing expressions of gloating malevolence.

            “I told you he was here,” Dark Don said.  “We just had to keep watching.  Look at that; he brought us a prize too.”

            Dark Don pointed at Don, who had pulled his bo staff as soon as the clones appeared.  Before Don could respond, Red growled at his brothers, “Get lost!  I’m not with you anymore, I belong here now.  Go away and don’t ever bother the turtles again!”

            “Someone is spoiled,” Dark Mikey chanted.

            “All that rich living,” Dark Leo said.  “Let’s take Donatello with us instead of destroying him.  We’ll ask for a ransom and then we can live rich too.”

            “Let’s collect a ransom and destroy him anyway,” Dark Don suggested.  “I have some experiments I’d like to try out on my original.”

            The trio had fanned out as they spoke and suddenly moved forward as one unit.  It appeared that they had been practicing or that perhaps Dun had stressed the need for them to learn to work together.

            All three came at Donatello, ignoring Red as though they were sure he wouldn’t get in their way.  As Dark Mikey tried to dash past Red, the larger clone stuck his arm out and clotheslined his brother.

            “I said to go away!” Red shouted, his anger growing in intensity as he sprang for Dark Leo.

            The two of them fell in a heap, arms flying as fists connected.  They rolled across the roof top, locked in combat as they each tried to incapacitate the other.

            Dark Don was the first to reach Donatello.  His initial attempt to grab the turtle left him empty handed as Don sprang out of his way.  Dark Mikey lunged at him next, but Don spun aside and shoved his bo staff between the yellow clone’s legs, tripping him and sending Dark Mikey face first into the roofing gravel.

            Sensing Dark Don behind him, Don jabbed back with his bo, catching the purple clone in the stomach.  As Dark Don staggered backwards, Don spun around, whipping his bo staff up quickly to smack the clone on the side of his head.

            Red used his larger size to his advantage as he flung Dark Leo off of him, sending the clone leader sliding across the roof top.  Leaping to his feet, Red ran back to where Don was, the turtle genius battling to hold off two of Red’s vicious brothers.

            Laughing maniacally, Dark Mikey turned on Red, swinging at him with his double-bladed club.  Unarmed, Red ducked under the weapon, calling on some of the skills he’d learned from Don as he slammed into his yellow toned brother and drove his fist into a pressure point beneath Dark Mikey’s armpit.

            “Ow, ow, ow!” Dark Mikey yelped, dropping his weapon and dancing from foot to foot as he gripped his now numb arm.

            Dark Leo jumped onto Red’s shell, pushing him off his feet.  As he was going down, Red reached out and caught Dark Don’s ankle, tripping the brainy clone before he could get to Don again.

            Don took a running leap at Dark Don as the clone went down, using his back as a springboard.  Flying skyward, he spun his bo down into Dark Leo’s face, knocking the clone leader off of Red.

            Both Dark Leo and Red gained their feet simultaneously, the look on the clone leader’s face reflecting a thunderous rage.

            “What are you doing?” Dark Leo shouted.  “If we want our freedom we have to take down the turtles!  When we kidnap Donatello the rest of them will come for him and we can wipe them all out!”

           “I’m already free!”  Red yelled back.  “Donny saved me after the rest of you ran and left me for dead!  I won’t let you touch him; Donny is special!”

            Dark Leo drew his sword.  “He made you weak.  You don’t even have your weapons.  Sorry brother, but you’re in the way.”

            “No!” Don exclaimed as Dark Leo rushed at Red.

            Red dove aside as Dark Leo took a swipe at him, the blade of his giant katana missing his brother by a hair.  Seeing Dark Mikey’s club lying where he’d dropped it, Red rolled across the roof top and scooped it up in time to deflect Dark Leo’s next blow.

            Don bounded toward them, determined to aid his lover.  Before he could make it half way there, Dark Mikey pounced at him, hitting Don with his shoulder and knocking the turtle down.

            As his bo staff clattered across the roof top, Don scrambled forward on his hands and knees to retrieve it.  Something hit him hard on the side of his head and sent him tumbling onto his carapace.

            Dizzy, Don tried to sit up and move but he wasn’t fast enough.  Dark Don’s tail wrapped around his ankle and Don was lifted high into the air, the swaying of his body making his head hurt worse.

            “Stop fighting us brother or I’ll drop this one over the side,” Dark Don threatened.

            Red’s eyes widened in horror and he quickly stepped back from Dark Leo.  The clone leader smiled victoriously.

            “Join us again,” Dark Leo said.  “If you enjoy Donatello so much we’ll let you keep him as a pet.  Maybe we can all play with him.  I’m sure he can handle four of us.”

            “He is not a pet!”  Red charged the clone leader as a white hot fury coursed through his veins.  “He is my mate!”

            The sheer power of Red’s attack bowled Dark Leo over and he lost his grip on his katana.  Red was on top of him in a flash, his giant fist like a battering ram as he smashed it into the clone leader’s face.

            Dark Mikey started forward to help Dark Leo, lifting his whip-mace with a deadly purpose.  Red swung back at him with Dark Mikey’s own club, the weapons clashing as Red continued to pound on Dark Leo.

            “That’s it!” Dark Don yelled, raising his claws and bringing Donatello towards them.

            A sudden high pitched screech pulled Dark Don’s attention off of his captive and as he turned toward the sound, the mangled roof top access door came crashing to the ground.

            Leo and Raph leaped through the opening, their weapons drawn.  Turtle X lumbered through right behind them, Cody at the helm of his robotic creation.

            With a roar, Dark Don flung Donatello away from him.  The stunned turtle slammed into a wall, crumpling to a heap at its base.

            “Donny!” Red shouted, kicking Dark Mikey away from him and scurrying over Dark Leo in his frantic rush to reach his lover.

            Dark Leo grabbed at his leg, rolling away from the two ninjas who were bearing down on him and dragging Red away from Donatello.  Dark Don and Dark Mikey charged at Leo and Raph who were forced to turn and defend themselves.

            Red lifted his free foot and kicked Dark Leo right between the eyes, forcing him to let go of Red’s leg.  Before Dark Leo could lunge for his brother again, Turtle X bore down on the clone leader, hitting him with a hard swipe of its arm.  The blow lifted Dark Leo into the air and sent him flying several feet away.

            Dark Mikey hit the roof top next and Dark Don landed on top of him.  As they struggled to stand up, the Hover Shell appeared over the edge of the roof top and set down.  Mikey and Master Splinter leaped out and ran straight towards the attacking clones.

            “Retreat!” Dark Leo yelled, making a mad dash back to the Terrorpin without bothering to see if his brothers were following.

            “You’re going to regret this!” Dark Don shouted at Red as he and Dark Mikey untangled themselves and raced to get away.

            Red paid no attention to them, his entire focus on getting to Donatello.  Reaching the unconscious turtle, Red gently lifted Don’s head and nuzzled him, then began licking his lover’s face.

            “Wake up, Donny,” Red murmured, his voice shaky.  “Wake up now.  They’re gone.  Please be okay.”

            The sound of the Terrorpin lifting off and the rest of Don’s family shouting at the dark turtles was something Red completely ignored as he crooned to his lover.  He had no medical knowledge and didn’t know what to do, other than to rock Donatello and urge him to be all right.

            A sudden blast of air hit the two of them, lifting Don’s mask tails and making Red look up.  The Terrorpin was flying past them and in a fit of anger, Red jumped to his feet, snatching up Dark Mikey’s club from where he’d dropped it.  With a loud bellow, he threw it at the Terrorpin, hitting the wind screen and cracking the glass in front of Dark Don’s face.

            Even through the cracked glass Red could still see Dark Don’s expression as the purple clone snarled at him.  Red also saw his brother’s eyes flicker over to Don and then the movement of Dark Don’s arm as he reached for the laser.

            “No!” Red shouted, leaping towards Don just as the weapon fired.

            Red’s jump brought his massive form between the laser and Donatello.  The blast hit Red’s carapace and jolted the big clone off of his feet.

            As Red hit the ground next to Don, Turtle X fired on the Terrorpin, scoring a direct hit on one of its drive engines.  The explosion shoved the Terrorpin away from the roof top and it banked out of sight, smoke billowing from its back end.

            The family on the roof top turned towards the injured pair, moving quickly to reach them.

            “Do you want me to chase them down, Leo?” Mikey asked, pointing in the direction the Terrorpin had gone.

            “Forget them,” Leo said, squatting near Don as Master Splinter checked the pulse in his neck.

            “He is coming around,” Master Splinter said.

            Raph kneeled next to Red who had begun to stir.  “Ya’ okay, big guy?”

            Red blinked at him and turned his head towards Don.  Sliding his arm over, Red lifted a shaking hand to Don’s face, his lips twitching upwards as his lover moaned.

            “Yes,” Red answered.

            Don’s eyes opened and he glanced around, stopping his search when he spotted Red lying next to him.  “Red,” he whispered.

            “Don-ny is all right?” Red asked, his speech pattern reverting slightly.

            “Of course,” Don said with a wan smile.  “I told you before I wouldn’t leave you.”

            Red swallowed audibly, two fat tears rolling down his cheeks as his fingers stroked Don’s face.  “Tough guy,” he murmured affectionately.

            “Let’s get these two inside,” Leo said, noticeably touched by the scene between his brother and Red.

            Leo and Mikey helped Don into a seated position, placing his arms across their shoulders and chair lifting him between them.  Cody leaped out of Turtle X who reverted back to Serling and they approached Red.

            “Serling can carry you,” Cody offered.

            Red pushed himself onto his knees and shook his head.  “I can walk.”

            When he tried to stand he nearly fell over again and Raph quickly caught him.  Clearing his throat, Raph said, “Why don’t ya’ lean on me, Red?  Ya’ don’t want Donny ta worry, do ya’?”

            The original and his clone stared at each other for a minute and then Red slung his arm across Raph’s shoulder, using him as a brace in order to stand up.  They followed the other three turtles, Red limping slightly as he walked.

            “We’d better get this door fixed as soon as possible,” Cody said as he and Master Splinter stepped through the busted opening.

            “Oh goody,” Serling said as he brought up the rear of the procession, “I was afraid I wouldn’t have anything to repair today.”

            Red glanced at Raph, a baffled expression on his face.  “I don’t think he really meant that.”

            Raph laughed.  “First chance we get, I’ll teach ya’ about sarcasm.”

            A few hours later Red and Don were lying side by side on separate beds in the sick bay.  Though they weren’t yet allowed to get up, their hands were intertwined in the space between them.

            They had slept and they had eaten, neither badly wounded but both requiring a recovery period.  Don had seen the change in the way Leo and Raph viewed Red now and knew that the clone had proven himself to them during the fight on the roof top.

            Apparently, Red was thinking about the same thing.  “Thank you for never doubting me when my brothers showed up,” Red said softly after several long moments of silence.

            Don smiled at him.  “You haven’t had anything to prove to me since you said my name the day that I rescued you.  I think I fell in love with you right then.”

            “Same for me,” Red said, his eyes glued lovingly to Don’s face.

            “Now you’ve returned the favor,” Don told him.  “We’ve saved each other’s lives and we’re even.”

            “Even is a good place to be in a relationship,” Red said.  After a minute, he said, “You saved more than my body that day, Donny.  You changed who I am.  I think I want to pay it forward.”

            “How so?” Don asked, his forehead wrinkling in puzzlement.

            Red inhaled deeply, releasing the breath in a long sigh.  “I want to save my brothers.”

            “Even after they attacked you?” Don asked.

            “Yes.”  Red nodded emphatically.  “They didn’t go for me until I attacked them.  When they were leaving, Dark Don could have shot me in the face but he went after you instead.  He only did that because he’s still programmed to fight you, but all three of them wanted me back.  They’ve been looking for me.”

            “You think if you can remove the graph that makes them slaves to Dun and Sh’Okanabo then they’ll turn to doing good, the way that you have,” Don said.

            “I have to try,” Red said pleadingly.  “I don’t know the science, but you and Cody can help me.  Even if you . . . if you have to leave before I save all of them, Cody can help me get back to you.  Would that be okay?  Would it be okay if my brothers came with me to your time?  We don’t have a place here and we could make a fresh start in the past.”

            “You really want to have your family with you, don’t you, Red?” Don asked gently.

            Red’s expression softened.  “I see you with your brothers and it makes me want that too.  My brothers don’t deserve what Dun did to them.”

            Don looked thoughtful and then said, “Bishop owes us for saving his butt a couple of times,” he said.  “I’m sure he would pardon you and your brothers if we told him to.  You wouldn’t be wanted by the peace keepers anymore.”

            “That would be good,” Red acknowledged.  “While you are here that would help a lot because then I could go places with you.  People still probably won’t like me, but I only care what you think.”

            “If you came back with me you couldn’t go out where anyone could see you,” Don warned.

            “I don’t do that here either, so I wouldn’t be missing anything,” Red said.  “I am used to having nothing, not even enough food to eat.  All I want is to have a real life; to be with you, to have food and shelter and a safe place to be.  That’s all my brothers want and they can’t have it until they are out of Dun’s control.”

            “Are you absolutely sure about this?” Don asked.

            Red looked excited.  “Yes.  We can help you fight evil and make up for the bad things we’ve done.  It will feel good to have a purpose that’s our choice.”

            “Suppose Cody and I get the time window operational before you can save your brothers?” Don asked.  “I can’t ask my family to remain here, even if I know they’d do it for me.”

            “That’s what I mean when I said you might have to leave first,” Red said.  “If you can fix the time window before I’m done, go without me.  No matter what happens, I’ll follow you as soon as I can.”

            “I don’t know if I could do that,” Don said, his voice low as he squeezed Red’s hand.

            “It will be hard for me too,” Red said.  “Your brothers love you, Donny.  If I can’t go with you right away, let them comfort you the way they’ve always wanted to.  I don’t mind because I know that it won’t make you stop loving me.”

            Don’s eyes widened.  “Red, I’m not sure about . . . .”

            Red interrupted him.  “You don’t have to, just give them a chance.  I have to know you’ll be happy.”

            “I’m happiest with you,” Don said.  Kicking the blanket off of his legs, Don got up and crawled into bed with his lover.  “How about we all work hard to track down your brothers and cure them?  My family would love nothing better than to stick it to Dun and then this discussion about my leaving without you would have been pointless.”

            “Okay,” Red agreed a little distractedly.  Don was wriggling against him, lifting his leg and sliding it against Red’s thigh.

            “Want to play doctor with me?” Don asked, nipping at Red’s bicep.

            Red reached down and groped Don’s ass, lifting the smaller turtle on top of him.  “Suppose someone comes in here?”

            Don reached up to press the button that locked down the sick bay.  “If they don’t take the hint from that, then they can’t complain about what they might see.”

            “I love you, Don-ny,” Red said in a completely guttural voice.

            “I love you too, Red,” Don replied with a gasp of total abandonment.

END


End file.
